Load transfer device

ABSTRACT

The present invention concerns a load transfer device for platforms intended for the stacking of articles and exhibiting wheels, in particular for platforms for parking motor vehicles in a garage built in honeycomb style, with parking cells arranged adjacent to a shaft and a movable transport compartment in the shaft, whereby the platforms can be shifted between transport compartment and parking cell by means of crank mechanisms.

United States Patent Bianca July 17, 1973 [54] LOAD TRANSFER DEVICE FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 1 lnvemorl Edoard" Guiseppe Bianca, 450,149 9 1927 Germany 214 161 CE Rosenweg 6, CH-8700 Zollikon, Swltzerland Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza [22] Filed: June I, 1971 Assistant Examiner-R. B. Johnson Att0rneyR0bert E. Burns and Emmanuel J. Lobato [21] Appl. No.: 148,504

[57] ABSTRACT 2% 214/16'1 The present invention concerns a load transfer device l6 1 CE for platforms intended for the stacking of articles and 1 [e o earc 6 l 1 1 exhibiting wheels, in particular for platforms for parking motor vehicles in a garage built in honeycomb style, with parking cells arranged adjacent to a shaft and a [56] References cued movable transport compartment in the shaft, whereby UNITED STATES PATENTS the platforms can be shifted between transport com- 3,432,044 3/1969 Stienen 214/161 CE partment and parking cell by means of crank mechal,944,253 l/l934 Martin 2l4/l6.1 CC i s 3,190,467 6/1965 English 2l4/l6.1 CE 0 3,224,605 l2/l965 Buzzanca 214/l6.1 CE 9 ClalmS, 16 Drawing Flgures Patepied July 17, 1913 3,74%,W1

1O Sheets-Shoot 1 F'IG.1

FIG?

FIG.4

Patented July 17, 1973 10 Shoots-Shoot 2 Patented July 11, 1973 3,746,191

10 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 11, 1973 3,74 ,191

10 Sheets-Sheet 4 E h Patented July 17, 1973 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 11

Patented July 17, 1973 l0 Sheets-Sheet 6 Pat ented Jul 11, 1973 3,746,191

10 Sheets-Sheet Patented July 17, 1973 10 Sheets-Sheet 8 Patented July 17, 1973 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 Patented July 11, 1973 3,746,191

10 Sheets-Sheet 1O LOAD TRANSFER DEVICE A load transfer device of this kind with crank mechanisms having two unequally long crank arms is known from American Pat. No. 3 190 467. The centers of rotation of the crank mechanisms are located in stationary bearings in the transport compartment; one roller is supported on the end of the longer crank arm and two rollers are supported on the end of the shorter crank arm. In the neutral position, the longer crank arm of the crank mechanism extends outside of the shaft and reaches into a parking cell, where a transport platform with a slot on its underside is located. Intransferring a platform from a parking cell into the transport compartment, the roller of the longer crank arm engages the slot of the platform and pulls the platform into the transport compartment when the crank arm rotates. In transferring a platform from the transport compartment into a parking cell, the platform is pushed into the cell by the shorter crank arm, the end of which carries two rollers which act upon the outside of the slots.

This known arrangement has the disadvantage that the motion of ejecting a platform from the transport compartment into the parking cell is discontinuous, in that in a brief initial phase, the long crank arm moves the platform only a shortdistance, whereupon the platform stands still until the short crank arm shifts it by acting upon the external edge of the platform. Apart from the discontinuity of the motion, an essential disadvantage of the known arrangement'lies in the fact that the considerable masses (up to about 3 tons for platforms for motor vehicles) cannot be braked by the drive of the load transfer device, so that the platforms roll into the parking cells unchecked. Hence complicated devices such as shock absorbers and rebound alignment equipment must be provided in the parking cells. Apart from this, and inspite of such devices, it is only possible to achieve very modest load transfer speeds, resulting in excessively long total transfer time. A parking installation can only be operated economically, however, when the vehicle transfer rate is high, a condition which is not attainable with the help of .the known arrangement.

The purpose of the invention is the avoidance of the described disadvantages and handicaps; it consists in that two crank mechanisms are arranged in the transport compartment, each being equipped with two equally-long crank arms with a roller provided on the end of each, this roller being capable of engaging a slot on the underside of a platform, and that the center of rotation of each of the two crank mechanisms can be pushed and pulled in the direction of platform displacement.

It is advantageous for the two crank mechanisms to be capable of being driven'synchronously and counterrotating toward one another.

Preferably, the pushing-out and pulling-in motion of the crank mechanisms takes place simultaneously with the rotation of the crank, whereby the pushing-out motion of the center of rotation corresponds to a crank ro tation of [80 and the pulling-in motion corresponds to a further uninterrupted crank rotation of 180.

In keeping with one advantageous execution, .the centers of rotation of the crank mechanisms are arranged on a frame which is movable in the direction of platform motion.

Furthermore, the centers of rotation of the crank mechanisms can be arranged on the end of a rocking lever supported in a stationary frame in the transport compartment, the end of the rocking lever being movable essentially in the direction of platform displacement.

In this connection, a further crank mechanism is preferably arranged in the transport compartment, its roller engaging a slot of the rocking lever.

It is advantageous for the crank mechanisms for shifting the platforms as well as the further crank mechanisms for rotating the rocking lever to be capable of being driven by a common chain or gear drive, whereby the diameter of the sprocket wheels of the drive for the rocking levers is twice as great as that of the sprocket wheels of the crank mechanisms for shifting the platforms.

It is of advantage for the crank mechanisms to be moved at increased speed during a non-load motion, i.e. before or after the crank rollers have engaged the slots.

In keeping with one advantageous execution, the load transfer device is arranged asymmetrically in the shaft.

The load transfer device according to the invention substantially reduces the transfer time of known arrangements, thus raising the vehicle transfer rate proportionately. Furthermore a higher level of operational reliability is provided, improving the economic value of the installation in the same measure.

The object of the invention is explained in greater detail by means of two examples of execution shown in the drawings.

FIG. I to 4 illustrate diagramatically four successive phases of a transfer procedure, in which a platform is shifted from a parking cell onto the transport compartment in the shaft.

FIG. 5 shows the sequence of motion of the load transfer parts during this transfer procedure.

FIG. 6 to 9 illustrate in the same fashion as FIG. 1 to 4 four successive phases of the reverse transfer procedure, namely the shifting of a platform from the transport compartments into the parking cells.

FIG. 10, 11 and 12 present plan views of the three successive phases of the arrangement and operation of the crank mechanisms during a transfer procedure corresponding to FIG. 6 to 9.

FIG. 13 shows in longitudinal vertical section and FIG. 14 in transverse vertical section the crank mechanisms corresponding to FIG. 10 to 12.

FIG. 15 shows in plan view and FIG. 16in longitudinal vertical section a modified execution of the crank mechanisms in which the crank mechanisms are supported on a movable frame.

In .-FIG. 1, the shaft is denoted by l, the parking cells by 2 and the transport compartment by 3. In parking cell 2 a platform 4 is located, exhibiting on its underside slots denoted by 5 and 5. In transport compartment 3 two crank mechanisms 6, 6 are located, each having two equally long crank arms 7, on the .end of .each of which .a'roller 8 or 8 .is located. The centers of rotation of the crank arms 7 are denoted by 9 and .are each supported on the outer ends of rocking levers 10,

these rocking levers being pivotable about the axes constituted by the shafts 11. In the position illustrated in FIG. 1, arrows are shown at the rollers .8 and the centers of rotation 9 to indicate the direction of movement to reach the position shown in FIG. 2.

In order to reach the position shown in FIG. 2,,the rollers 8, 8' have rotated through 180", while the centers of rotation 9 have, as a result of the swinging out of the rocking levers l0, shifted a sufficient distance in the direction of the platform 4 to allow the rollers 8 to reach just the position of engagement with the slots 5. The arrows shown in FIG. 2 indicate the direction of movement of the rollers 8 and the centers of rotation 9 to reach the position shown in FIG. 3.

In this position as shown in FIG. 3, which constitutes an intermediate phase of the continuous transfer procedure, the rollers 8 have entered part way into the slots and have already started to draw the platform 4 out of its original position in a parking cell outwards in the direction of the transport compartment. The centers of rotation 9 have, compared with the position in FIG. 2, already moved a short distance in the direction of their original position. The arrows in FIG. 3 indicate the direction of movement for reaching the position shown in FIG. 4; the rollers 8, 8' reach this position from that shown in FIG. 2 by rotating a further 180, so that they find themselves back in' the original position according to FIG. I.

In this position they hold the platform 4 secure in the transport compartment, so that the platform can now be conveyed by means of this compartment to the desired location.

FIG. 5 illustrates the geometric paths followed by the rollers 8, 8' and the centers of rotation 9 during the sequence of motion over the successive phases shown in FIG. 1 to 4, whereby the rollers 8, 8' move along approximately cycloidal curves.

In FIG. 6 to 9, the transfer procedure for a platform 4 from the transport compartment into a parking cell is illustrated similarly to the representation in FIG. I to 4.

The starting position of FIG. 6 corresponds to the final position of the transfer procedure as shown in FIG. 1 to 4. The arrows in FIG. 6 show again the direction in which the rollers 8, 8' and the centers of rotation 9 move in order to reach the intermediate position as shown in FIG. 7. In this position as indicated in FIG. 7, the rollers 8, 8' have rotated about 150, have entered the slots 5 and have already pushed the platform most of the way into the parking cell 2. The arrows in FIG. 7 indicate the direction in which the rollers and the centers of rotation move in order to reach the position shown in FIG. 8. I

The rollers 8, 8' have rotated through 180 out of the position shown in FIG. 6 in order to reach the position shown in FIG. 8, in which the platform is in its final location in the parking cell; through further rotation of the crank arms 7 in the direction of the arrows shown in FIG. 8, the rollers 8 become disengaged from the slots 5, whereupon they assume the position shown in FIG. 9.

The position shown in FIG. 9 corresponds in turn to the starting position of the sequence of motion as illustrated in FIG. 1 to 4, whereby the cycle is completed.

An advantage of the described motion sequence of the object of the invention consists in the fact that each load transfer, regardless of direction, corresponds to a continuous, uniform motion of the drive motor, so that no switching devices whatever are required for the initiating of the various phases of movement. The reversing of the load transfer procedure requires nothing more than the reversal of the rotational direction of the drive motor. Whether a platform is transferred from the transport compartment into a parking cell located on one side or on the other side of the shaft is likewise determined by the rotational direction of the drive motor. Hence the various successive movements involved in each individual transfer procedure take place in automatic, compulsory sequence, without requiring any control organs whatsoever.

FIG. 10 to 12 illustrate once again the motion sequence as shown in FIG. 6 to 9, this time in consideration of the design arrangement and the configuration of the crank mechanisms 6, 6'.

The illustration in FIG. 10 corresponds to that in FIG. 6, in which the platform is located in the transport compartment. The denotations mentioned in connection with FIG. 1 to 9 have the same meaning in FIG. 10. In the center of rotation of each of the crank arms 7 there is a sprocket wheel 12, and a similar sprocket wheel 13 is located in the pivot axis of the rocking lever 10 which is constituted by the shaft 1 I; the two wheels l2, 13 are connected by a chain 14. The sprocket wheel 13 is mounted on the shaft 11, which shaft also carries a further sprocket wheel 15 behind it, this sprocket wheel being connected by means of a further chain 17 with a sprocket wheel 18. The ratio of the working diameter of the sprocket wheel 18 to that of the sprocket wheel 15 is 2:l. The sprocket wheel 18 carries eccentrically a shaft 19 with a roller 20, which runs in a slot 21 of the rocking lever 10, thus forming a further crank mechanism. The eccentricity of this further crank mechanism 18, 19, 20 is so chosen that the pushing-out and pulling-in motion of the centers of rotation 9 of the crank mechanisms 6, 6' bridges the gap between the position of the slots 5 when the platform is parked in a cell and the position of the slots 5' when the platform is located in the compartment. The two shafts 11 are locked together in counter-rotation by gears 22 and are driven via an intermediate gear 23 and a pinion 24 by a motor 25. The chain and gear drives shown can be partly or fully replaced by functionally suitable drives of other types, e.g., pure gear or pure chain drives.

FIG. 11 represents, in the same view as FIG. 10, the plan view of the crank mechanism in the position corresponding to FIG. 8. It can be seen from the illustration that, while the crank arms have rotated through 180, the eccentric rollers 20 of the crank sprocket wheels 18 have in the same time traversed an angle of the reason being the transmission ratio of 2:l between the sprocket wheels 18 and 15.

FIG. 12. illustrates, in the same view as in FIG. 10 and 11, the position corresponding to FIG. 9, which the rollers 8,8 have reached by rotating through a further and the rollers 20 by rotating through a further 90. Thus the crank mechanisms have returned to the starting position, the platform being parked in a parking cell and the transport compartment being devoid of platforms.

In comparing FIG. 10 with FIG. 12 it should be noted that, when the loaded platform rests in the transport compartment, the rollers 20 are located in a position with maximum distance between each other, and when an empty platform is in the compartment, they are positioned with minimum distance between each other. This has not only the advantage of greater stability of the centers of rotation 9 of the crank arms 7 when the platform in the transport compartment is loaded, but it also results in a reduced starting acceleration for the transfer procedure with loaded platform in comparison with the transfer procedure with empty platforms. This is also the reason that it is possible to operate at higher speed.

While FIG. 1 to 14 illustrate a load transfer device in which the centers of rotation 9 of the crank arms 7 are swung out, the centers of rotation 9 of the crank arms 7 in the modified execution as shown in FIG. 15 and 16 are supported rigidly in a frame 26, which is itself displaceable with relation to the transport compartment sideways in the direction of the parking cells. The displacement is carried out in a slide-shaped guide 27, 28 and is brought about in similar fashion to the execution described in FIG. 1 to 14, by a further crank mechanism 29 connected to the main drive. This crank mechanism consists of a chain sprocket 30, which corresponds to the chain sprocket 18 in FIG. 10, and the crank 31, which is connected in articulated fashion by means of a toggle joint 32, itself corresponding to the roller 20, via a rocking lever 33 to the compartment structure at the location denoted by 34. The sprocket wheel 30 is connected with a chain 35 to a sprocket wheel 36, which is mounted on shaft 37, this shaft in turn constituting the center of rotation 9 of the crank arms. The shaft 37 carries the crank arms 7 on the one hand, and on the other is connected directly by drive units 38 to the second shaft 37 and driven by a motor 39. In this example, the drive is illustrated as a worm drive. Naturally further possible mechanical variations of the basic principle present themselves.

What I claim is:

l. A load transfer device for platforms intended for the stacking of articles and exhibiting wheels, in particular for platforms for parking motor vehicles in a garage built in honeycomb style, with parking cells arranged adjacent to a shaft and a movable transport compartment in the shaft, whereby the platforms can be shifted between transport compartment and parking cells by means of crank mechanisms, two crank mechanisms being arranged in the transport compartment, each being provided with two equally long crank arms, on the end of each of which a roller is provided which engage a slot on the underside of a platform, the center of rotation of each of the crank mechanisms being capable of being pushed out and pulled in in the direction of the platform displacement.

2. A load transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the two crank mechanisms are capable of being driven synchronously and counter-rotating toward one another.

3. A load transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the pushing-out and the pulling-in motion of the crank mechanisms takes place simultaneously with the crank rotation, whereby the pushing-out motion of the center of rotation corresponds to a crank rotation of and the pullingin motion corresponds to a further uninterrupted crank rotation of 180.

4. A load transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the centers of rotation of the crank mechanisms are arranged on a frame which is movable in the direction of the platform movement.

5. A load transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the centers of rotation of the crank mechanisms are arranged on the end of a rocking lever supported in a stationary frame in the transport compartment, the end of this rocking lever being movable essentially in the direction of the platform displacement.

6. A load transfer device according to claim 5, wherein a further crank mechanism is arranged in the transport compartment, with the roller of this crank mechanism engaging a slot of the rocking lever.

7. A load transfer device according to claim 6, wherein the crank mechanisms for shifting the platform, as well as the further crank mechanisms for rotating the rocking lever are capable of being driven by a chain drive and/or a gear drive, whereby the working diameter of the sprocket wheels or gear wheels of the drive of the rocking lever is twice as great as that of the sprocket wheels of the crank mechanism for shifting the platform.

8. A load transfer device according to claim 1 wherein the crank mechanisms are moved at increased speed during the period of a no-load movement, i.e. be fore or after the crank rollers engage the slots.

9. A load transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is located asymmetrically in the transport compartment and thus asymmetrically in the shaft. 

1. A load transfer device for platforms intended for the stacking of articles and exhibiting wheels, in particular for platforms for parking motor vehicles in a garage built in honeycomb style, with parking cells arranged adjacent to a shaft and a movable transport compartment in the shaft, whereby the platforms can be shifted between transport compartment and parking cells by means of crank mechanisms, two crank mechanisms being arranged in the transport compartment, each being provided with two equally long crank arms, on the end of each of which a roller is provided which engage a slot on the underside of a platform, the center of rotation of each of the crank mechanisms being capable of being pushed out and pulled in in the direction of the platform displacement.
 2. A load transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the two crank mechanisms are capable of being driven synchronously and counter-rotating toward one another.
 3. A load transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the pushing-out and the pulling-in motion of the crank mechanisms takes place simultaneously with the crank rotation, whereby the pushing-out motion of the center of rotation corresponds to a crank rotation of 180* and the pulling-in motion corresponds to a further uninterrupted crank rotation of 180*.
 4. A load transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the centers of rotation of the crank mechanisms are arranged on a frame which is movable in the direction of the platform movement.
 5. A load transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the centers of rotation of the crank mechanisms are arranged on the end of a rocking lever supported in a stationary frame in the transport compartment, the end of this rocking lever being movable essentially in the direction of the platform displacement.
 6. A load transfer device according to claim 5, wherein a further crank mechanism is arranged in the transport compartment, with the roller of this crank mechanism engaging a slot of the rocking lever.
 7. A load transfer device according to claim 6, wherein the crank mechanisms for shifting the platform, as well as the further crank mechanisms for rotating the rocking lever are capable of being driven by a chain drive and/or a gear drive, whereby the working diameter of the sprocket wheels or gear wheels of the drive of the rocking lever is twice as great as that of the sprocket wheels of the crank mechanism for shifting the platform.
 8. A load transfer device according to claim 1 wherein the crank mechanisms are moved at increased speed during the period of a no-load movement, i.e. before or after the crank rollers engage the slots.
 9. A load transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is located asymmetrically in the transport compartment and thus asymmetrically in the shaft. 